


Second Chances

by Bardocks-Bandanna (DocReggie)



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Study, Diary/Journal, F/M, Non-Canon Relationship, POV Female Character, Writing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-12 18:01:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16877631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DocReggie/pseuds/Bardocks-Bandanna
Summary: Launch was asked out on a date by Raditz. In her excitement, she writes back to other personality in their shared diary. But the Blonde Launch has some concerns with this... (A dabble based on a role-play.)





	Second Chances

**Author's Note:**

> This is a dabble I originally wrote and posted on my Launch role-play blog on Tumblr, which I'm posting here mostly for archiving purposes. It was written as a response to a role-play interaction I had with my friend's Raditz blog. As such, bear in mind that this dabble has some missing context. Though I've been told it still works as a standalone work.

An open book covered in words lays before the feisty blonde.

She reads over the words meticulously, for once in a calm state that permits her a moment of leisure. She recognizes the penmanship not as her own, but belonging to that of the blunette, whose own printed words were as delicate as her soft demeanor. There was nothing written in the pages to cause her alarm; just another structured day free of disruptions. A thing to be thankful for.

...Until a new sentence came into view. The words seemed to nearly pop out at her, leaving the blonde woman with a stunned silence that lasts for a moment.

“A....A date?”

There was no confusion to be had. Everything that was written in the pages before her were crystal clear: Raditz had asked Launch out on a date, more specifically the blue-haired Launch, and she had accepted it with willing enthusiasm. Even before she knew how her overprotective, blonde-haired self would react.

But even though the Blonde now knew all this -- the arrangement, her agreement, her friend's dare, the time and place, and the man himself in the middle of it all -- she was still confused. Launch needed to know _everything._ But this thirst for facts was not one driven by an abhorrent anger, but rather a determined, inquisitive spark of energy; as though she herself SHOULD have been there to witness the ask with her own eyes. There were questions to be asked. There were details that needed clarifying. She needed the entire thing to be explained to her one more time before she could feel satisfied -- she needed to know where exactly her good, blue-haired counterpart's thoughts lay in regards to this date.

So with a fervent determination, she armed herself with the ink pen and familiar white feather clenched between her fingertips; their very symbol of confronting internal struggles. The conversation began once she finished writing and rose the feather to her nostrils...

...Blue was of course happy to explain it all over again, recounting the whole event in easy terms she knew her other half would understand. She'd been wary of how her feisty counterpart would react to the news, knowing the strained relationship between her and Raditz. What a surprise it was then when she opened her round eyes and discovered that her other half hadn't immediately thrown a slew of angry accusations and demands -- only an urging curiosity that inquired more. Deep down Blue was actually looking forward to this outing. She would explain it as many times as necessary to the Blonde until she understood. Maybe then she'd finally nod and give her blessing.

But as confident as Blue had been to share all this a second time, it was the Blonde's response to her that made her pause.

_'You know this must be one of those /special/ dates, right?'_ The Blonde wrote back.

Blue was left in quiet awe after she read that. It had taken her another minute before she responded: _'I thought this was just going to be a friendly get-together.'_

* * *

Oh, that naive girl! That foolish, simple-minded dimwit! How COULD she not realize it otherwise?! The Blonde hated the slow and simple-mindfulness that her other self seemed to possess. These are things she already should know! It should have been obvious to her from the very start the nature of this date! It were that very naivete that sparked a rising temper within the Blonde. She always had to be blunt with the blunette to get her to understand, and tonight would be no different.

She furiously flipped the page and jotted down her rebuttal: _'No, Blue-- It's not that kind of date! You cannot seriously have forgotten already! You KNOW already that RADISH has a thing for you-- for us!'_ She didn't actually know how to spell his name. _'This is supposed to be a ROMANTIC date, you dunce! Did you seriously agree to this thinking it'd just be a casual thing??'_

_Oh_ \-- The Blonde's words always had a way of disquieting. Her blunt words, even when written down, were merciless and yielded to no one. The Blunette stared down at the response she received, at once casting her into silence with this realization.

Yes. Yes she **knew** that Raditz liked her -- the both of them. It wasn't that Blue was too stupid not to realize (even if her other self may swear it sometimes), and he did confess to her as much. She knew that her dual-personalities had some sort of quality that attracted him to them, and she knew that he wanted both of them equally. Somehow, in spite of all their past misunderstandings and petty fights; it had somehow came to pass that a growing crush had blossomed in the Saiyan's frozen heart. Launch knew of all this. But she could not guess the reason why. He had said she was 'strong', but she did not feel strong in the slightest -- not like her daring other half. What was it about them that had allured the Saiyan who was otherwise so bent on avoiding them? 

But she had rejected him back then. She had insisted with all despairing ferocity that she _couldn't_ be with him -- with **ANYONE** at all. She had flat-out rejected the idea that she could be fit to be anything more than just a friend. It almost seemed so uncharacteristic of the delicate Blunette to have uttered such strong, defeating words onto him.

But was it really that unusual of her? There was a good reason why both women were so hesitant to accept Raditz's growing affection. And it was precisely because she was a magnet for trouble. Whether she had brought it upon herself or it had followed her as consequence, trouble was always seemingly one step behind the ill-fated woman. Everywhere that Launch went she was met with scorn for actions she now regretted. She was lost now; forced to aimlessly roam the earth for a place where she could finally rest, but could never stay for too long lest unwanted attention find her again. This continuous struggle was hers to own and only hers. Launch could never stand to let that burden fall on any of her friends. She would sooner run again before that could happen.

And that was her way of protecting them. She could not afford to get too close and risk her friends' safety. And wasn't that only fair? None of her friends deserved that. That was why she so strongly rejected Raditz's feelings toward her; she did not want for him to become involved in her own struggle. And he seemed to accept that, hence why she only thought the date as a friendly one and nothing more.

She concluded these thoughts in writing, _'I don't want him to get the wrong idea. I DO like him a little, but... You know we can't get too close. It's better for him that way.'_

* * *

Blonde Launch had perfectly understood where her other half was coming from. She never felt comfortable either staying in one place for very long, and now hated to think what sort of trouble would befall her friends if she did. Would the cops think of them as accomplices? Would they think her friends were obstructing an imaginary justice? Anything was possible.

It was a far cry from how she used to stubbornly chase after Tien -- but that was all for her own selfish gain, with little regard to his own thoughts and wants. She had only saw in him a brutal fighter who played dirty, but he had since renounced those old ways. It was selfish of her to think that she could make him turn back. It was only after Tien died that the Blonde was forced to confront hard truths. She since realized that _no one_ is invincible; that every action has its consequence and affected _everyone._ That was why she couldn't stay attached anymore. If she had to remove herself to protect her friends, and even to protect _herself_ from them, then so be it.

Yet it had been different with Raditz -- his confession shook the Blonde to her very core. Now she knew how Tien felt back then; it must've been really awkward for him, for that was how she felt in response to the Saiyan's startling feelings. But more than that, it had also left her with a strong sense of responsibility toward him. It gave her yet _another reason_ to keep a watch on him, if only to make sure he wouldn't repeat the same mistakes she had done. But it was all so odd. The Blonde and Saiyan began hating each other and swore to avoid their company. Blue wasn't the only one curious -- the Blonde also wondered why Raditz would ever come to pine for them, considering all that had happened.

She had to take a moment to reflect on all that, stepping out of the room and leaving the diary open on the hardwood floor. When she did return, the Blonde had offered this: _'What if we're going about that all wrong? Maybe WE'RE being too closed off.'_

It was a surprising turn when Blue had read those words left by her other half. For a moment she wondered if she was actually _ill._ The Blonde was **ALWAYS** the most carefully guarded one of the pair. Wherever the dainty Blue had faltered, the Blonde had made it up with her quick temper and cunning -- and was quite effective at it. It was she who had threatened and even attacked the Saiyan for antagonizing her. So how could Blue NOT feel surprise when she awoke and found her other half suggesting that they could be wrong?

But that was the very truth -- both Launches had been wrong about Raditz. He was not the nefarious Saiyan they had heard tales of, at least not anymore. The truth was that Raditz never meant them any harm. All his attempts to understand them had been done with good intentions. Misguided and poorly communicated yes, but out of good intentions. She knew that Raditz was trying hard to fit into a world that was otherwise unfit for a former intergalactic mercenary. But in the beginning Launch had been so afraid of him based on the principle of what he WAS. Her very perception of who the Saiyan was had been warped before she even met him.

But oh-- ain't that just like the both of them? How many people have looked at Launch's wanted posters and assumed the worst? How many towns now have turned her away? How often have they spoken ill of her just for her actions alone? Oh-- Launch was no better. She was never any better. She was a hypocrite.

But there were more words that the Blonde had left for Blue to ponder: _'Do we really gotta protect someone like RADISH of all people? Isn't it obvious that he already knows about our crap? And he's still sticking around! We've been giving him another chance to trust him, but don't you think he's also giving US another chance too?'_

Blue was stunned when she read that.

_'Isn't that what we want?'_

* * *

Again her Blonde half had been right. Yes that was also true. Launch did want another chance of her own.

When Launch took strides to visit Raditz, it had been done out of faith. Maybe blind faith, but the Blue Launch had been convinced that there was more to the Saiyan than he first seemed. At the time Blonde had strongly disagreed, but eventually she too also grew curious of what was hidden beneath his hardened exterior. In spite of all his exploits, he had been given a rare opportunity to turn it around. The women both admired and envied this precious gift, even though Raditz angrily swore otherwise. But even with this new opportunity, Raditz was only barely accepted into the community of friends and acquaintances that permitted his revival. Even his own extended family only seemed to tolerate him at best. Now he spent days completely alone in the wilderness training, with no one sparing a thought to check on him outside of obligation -- all except for her. Launch **WANTED** to learn more about him. She wanted to be able to **trust** him. And that determination was already beginning to pay off.

But never -- _not even once_ \-- had Launch _ever_ considered until now that Raditz would _also_ be giving _them_ that same chance.

Kame House didn't house her because they trusted her; they took her in so she could help with the upkeep. She had to earn her stay. Tien only put up with her because of the Blonde's stubbornness, but he too was naturally hesitant to house a wanted criminal. Launch knew that all her old friends cared about her, but they still carried themselves in a cautious manner around her. At best she was tolerated, at worst only humored. But she could not fault them for feeling that way -- they had every right to be scared of her.

But Raditz hadn't been deterred in the same way. He felt no fear toward the women; not to the consequences that plagued the both of them. He had wanted to drive them away, but never for that reason. In fact he even seemed to want to... **help** them. Those times when he had offered to whisk her away to safety; when he offered advice and to use his facilities for free; when he had offered to investigate for her sake; and when he even offered to take care of some of the work. All those times he had thought about **HER,** even when she did not deserve his help at all. He didn't worry what consequence would befall him for getting involved with a wanted criminal; perhaps because he was also an outlaw. And he did all this even while there were far more important, pressing matters deserving of his attention. It hadn't deterred him at all. It hadn't even deterred his unrequited feelings toward her.

Was this his way of repaying her for her own show of kindness?

As these thoughts crossed Blue's mind, her eyes wandered to a little capsule poking out of her knapsack, with a faded emblem of a star. The sight of it alone lit up her eyes. 

All this time Launch had been so fixated on everything else that she hadn't even considered just how much Raditz seemed to actually **CARE** about them. She had made it a point to watch his back, but he had been doing the very same for her. Only in subtler ways.

Suddenly it all became clear to her -- the reason why he had been drawn to her and adamant to help. It wasn't because she was another pretty woman nor a means of distraction. It was because _they are the **same.**_ A pair of outcasts who the universe seemed to have given up on, caught in a ceaseless struggle against their predetermined fates. In Raditz's case, he was an estranged soul who had no equal to call, no home he could ever return to, and whose past had marked him for life. They had both continuously sought someplace where they truly felt belonging. And maybe he had found that in her, for she had been willing to look past the regressions and show him kindness through patience and determination. People like them had to stick together, shoulder-to-shoulder. It was the same way with her two personalities; though they had often argued and brought their struggles onto themselves, they were all they had. But Raditz had no one like that. No one who could shoulder him through the worst of times, and no one who could relate to his struggles. But maybe in her he had found that equal. 

Maybe there really was no reason for her to be so defensive and closed off from him. There was no need to; he had already _accepted_ her for who she really is. He had given her that second chance when no one else really had, just as she had done for him.

The realization moved something in Blue. A deep and profound feeling stirred from within; like a shock that had rattled her inner being. For a moment she was left in complete silence.

A few minutes were spared to let it all sink in. Only then did she finally wrote her last response on the subject: a long and acknowledging thank you to her other half.

The Blonde could rest easier now, now that her other self seemed to finally comprehend the significance of the date...and of the significance that tied them to the Saiyan. Now satisfied, she had finally given her blessing to go on that date.


End file.
